DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson shared details Thursday from the investigation on the police response during an immigration rally.
The rally happened on June 14, with protesters gathered at Embry Hills Village.
Channel 2 Action News reported that police had ordered the demonstrators to get out of the road and onto the sidewalk, and officers deployed tear gas when they did not comply.
According to Cochran-Johnson’s investigation update, the county CEO said that the review has included 427 video recordings covering about 7.5 hours.
Additionally, the county has spoken to multiple residents and protesters.
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“We’ve heard from residents over the past week, especially members of our immigrant community, who are hurt, angry and scared,” Cochran-Johnson said in a statement Thursday. “I want to acknowledge that pain. The right to protest, to speak out, and to be treated with dignity. In DeKalb County, we remain deeply committed to those values.”
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The county said the rally at Embry Village Plaza was one of three to happen that day in DeKalb County, with the others at Clairmont Road and Lavista Road.
“At two locations, Clairmont Road and Lavista Road, protestors peacefully assembled and coordinated with local law enforcement. No arrests were made, and officers supported the events by managing traffic and maintaining safety,” according to investigators from the county. “At the third site, located at Embry Village Plaza on Chamblee-Tucker Road, events escalated after protestors entered the roadway and ignored repeated lawful orders to disperse.”
Additionally, the county said that event organizers for the Embry Village protest did not coordinate with the DeKalb County Police Department beforehand, unlike the other two rallies.
“After the assembly of protestors, once the protest was deemed unlawful, despite efforts by senior officers to de-escalate the situation, several individuals refused to follow orders given over the police public address (PA) system to remain on sidewalks and avoid private property resulting in dispersal orders given to all attendees,” officials said.
Protesters are also accused of having thrown “water bottles, fireworks and rocks” at police officers trying to disperse the crowd, while wearing gas masks, facial bandanas and fabric facial coverings to hide their identities.
Police deployed chemical agents in response. Officials also said that several businesses in the shopping center where the rally took place had called 911 over concerns of trespassing and unlawful assembly on private property. The shopping center owner also confirmed to police that she had not given permission for the gathering at the property.
Officers did de-escalate the situation with no damage to nearby business and no takeovers of major roads, interstate ramps or highways, the county said.
However, 29 people were taken into custody at the rally and 25 were in custody of DKPD.
The remaining four weree detained by Doraville police, including journalist Mario Guevara of El Salvador, who is currently facing deportation.
At the time, Guevara was charged with pedestrian in a roadway, obstructing law enforcement and unlawful assembly.
While Guevara’s charges have since been dropped in DeKalb County, he remains in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“After carefully reviewing the evidence, including video evidence surrounding his arrest, I have concluded that while there is probable cause to support the initial arrest, the evidence is insufficient to sustain a prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Donna Coleman-Stribling, DeKalb County solicitor general.
While still in custody in DeKalb County, ICE issued what’s known as an immigration hold on him, leading to what have become removal proceedings by the Department of Homeland Security.
Guevara also faces charges from a separate incident in Gwinnett County for distracted driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving.
Following the June 14 incident in the Embry Hills community, DeKalb County officials said they’ve taken the following steps to both protect First Amendment rights and help ensure organizers and law enforcement can work together collaboratively in the county.
- Developed P3 Packet – Peaceful Protest Protocol is designed to help protest organizers and law enforcement work collaboratively in DeKalb County. This toolkit will be made available on June 30, 2025.
- Translated Peaceful Protest Protocol Toolkit - Developed resources and guides into Spanish to ensure accessibility for DeKalb’s Spanish speaking communities.
- Enlisted community leaders to ensure the dissemination of accurate information surrounding First Amendment rights and protests, and clarity the relationship between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Continue supporting peaceful protest, First Amendment rights, and immigrant inclusion across DeKalb County.
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